School board accepts new goals for 2004-05

By Michael Jacobson

The Paynesville Area School Board took the following actions at their meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 10.

*The board approved its 2004-05 goals, as developed at a special board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 3. Approved goals are: (1) Promote an environment that encourages individual learning and student achievement; (2) Improve relations through various communication media with the community, staff, parents, and students; (3) Develop a web page that can encompass the JMC software program with parent access by the end of the year; (4) Be fiscally and financially sound and responsible.

*The board approved dairy and bakery bids for the 2004-05 school year. For dairy bids, Kemps was the lowest of the two bids, with the board accepting firm prices of $2.60 for a gallon of whole white milk, $2.50 for a gallon on 2% white milk, $2.40 for a gallon of skim milk, and 15.1¢ per carton of 2%, 14.3¢ per carton of skim milk, and 14.7¢ per carton of chocolate milk from Kemps.

For bakery bids, the district had three bidders with bids from Pan-O-Gold and Sara Lee being very close. After computing the district's estimated bread needs for the 2004-05 school year, Pan-O-Gold's bid totalled an estimated $10,198.80 while Sara Lee's totalled an estimated $10,236.50, with Pan-O-Gold's bid being the lowest by an estimated $37.70. The board accepted Pan-O-Gold's bid, which included 68¢ per dozen hamburger buns, which the district uses 10,000 dozen during the school year, and 68¢ per dozen weiner buns, which the district uses 2,250 dozen during the school year.

*The board approved a one-year contract with athletic coordinator Kyle Nehowig for the 2004-05 school year. The contract includes a total compensatin increase of 4.4 percent. Nehowig's new job description includes assisting the high school principal with discipline, something that Nehowig has done for a couple years gathering information on cases when the principal is out of the building.

*The board approved hiring Natalie Todnem as the new high school vocational agriculture teacher for the 2004-05 school year.

*The board approved a sixth class assignment for vocational teacher Mike Guenther during the 2004-05 school year. Three sections of land transportation are needed in 2004-05, requiring Guenther to teach six hours each day since it is a double-hour class.

*The board approved assignment changes for special education paraprofessionals Joan Blonigen (from 26 hours per week to 32.5 hours per week) and Denise Rien (from 15 hours per week to 26 hours per week). The district still has some hours for special education paraprofessionals, which they intend to divide among its Title I instructional aides, whose hours were cut due to a decrease in Title I funding.

*The board approved a contract with Becki Quade as the ECFE/WIC Coordinator for 2004-05.

*The board approved several handbooks for the 2004-05 school year: student/parent and faculty handbooks for the elementary, middle, and high schools as well as a middle school/high school faculty handbook policies and an athlete/ parent handbook.

*The board approved an agreement with Ridgewater College to allow Paynesville students to pursue Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO).